Politician Asks Game Makers to End Real-Life Gun Licensing

[RicoADF]

Do you even know the first thing of America's true problems? Not the cut down version CNN or fox news give, but the real version? The real story that isn't meant for shit slinging?

America's gun problem is gang/cartel based. America has a gang problem because our inability to let things go in the cold war. We fucked up and destabilized Latin America because we were scared of communists "invading" from the south.

So once those countries were stuck in perpetual hell, drug trades emerged. Did you ever find it suspicious that the giant drug trade propped up during the cold war seemingly overnight?

It grew and now we have a huge crime problem. Not only that, but even the FBI is scared it might be corrupted by the Cartels like Mexico was, because they see more and more cartel influence in the US military to steal weapons.

America doesn't know what to do now because it spent its time going after Russia in the cold war and now the cartels have big enough teeth that it keeps America away. If America fights, we would most likely have the bloodiest "war" since vietnam. If America doesn't fight, it becomes corrupted and the cartels can't be rooted out anymore. These cartels have big guns, it has the military training, it has the money, and it has the guerilla tactics that are known to be the bane of America's military.

Any attempt to fully fight the cartels will be a blood bath for America, and America is too scared to lose soldiers for fear of another war coming over the horizon. Even legalization is no longer an option to fight the cartels due to their sheer size and diversification.

Guns aren't America's issue. Its a symptom. Even countries with a lot of guns don't have the crime issue America has, and that's because of our short sighted imperialism and our drug policies that festered for decades with no counter.

America doesn't want to fix the crime problem because frankly it can't. Not without compromising its position on the world stage or its strength, something America spent decades and made plenty of sacrifices to maintain.

I knew the drug cartels were a massive issue, didn't realise it had linked to the cold war. Unfortuently it's just one of many issues today resulting from the cold war and weapons falling in the wrong hands.

Thanks for enlightening me about that, I had never noticed the connection between the 2. I'd offer you a beer if you were here

 

[Spartanmk1]

-snip-

Then stop buying them.

Personally, I like supporting Magpul, Ruger, Palmetto State Armory, Colt, and hell, even Glock to name a few.

Because these companies actually employ real Americans in factory positions. The workers are paid very well, and they make a quality product. Since I can't afford a new Ruger SR-15 or Colt 1991 series 1911, I will gladly buy a game that throws them royalties. Why? Because they are great companies, they are great employers, and they make fantastic products.

So, either walk your walk and stop buying games that license to gun manufactures to have the privilege of using their design in a game, or stop your whining.

 

[RicoADF]

Which is why you can't buy or legally own a fully automatic weapon without a license. Also, BATFA regulates all gun purchases and selling a gun illegally is grounds to lose one's license to sell guns. Most guns that are sold are semi-automatic. It's not particularly hard to modify such guns into fully automatic, though. Still not something that is legal to own.

And you'd be hard pressed to find anyone with military grade equipment. Anywhere.

If someone does have such equipment, they likely got it on the black market or stole it from the military. Where do you think groups like the ZETAs got their arms? Some random gun store?

A semi automatic assault rifle is still an assault rifle. Like I said, semi auto or not, a M16 or M4 is not required by the general public as an operational weapon.

If you disagree then fine, that's your right, but I don't and never will understand how a country that's suppose to be civilized requires assault weapons to be civilian legal.

 

[Colt47]

Will the political party I vote for please stop making themselves look like idiots? If they want to strike at the firearm industry financials they should aim to stop gun and munition exporting. Not that they'd realistically succeed, but at least they would look a little more intelligent.

 

[Kennetic]

Which is why you can't buy or legally own a fully automatic weapon without a license. Also, BATFA regulates all gun purchases and selling a gun illegally is grounds to lose one's license to sell guns. Most guns that are sold are semi-automatic. It's not particularly hard to modify such guns into fully automatic, though. Still not something that is legal to own.

And you'd be hard pressed to find anyone with military grade equipment. Anywhere.

If someone does have such equipment, they likely got it on the black market or stole it from the military. Where do you think groups like the ZETAs got their arms? Some random gun store?

A semi automatic assault rifle is still an assault rifle. Like I said, semi auto or not, a M16 or M4 is not required by the general public as an operational weapon.

If you disagree then fine, that's your right, but I don't and never will understand how a country that's suppose to be civilized requires assault weapons to be civilian legal.

An assault rifle, by definition, has select fire capability. An AR-15 is no different than any other semi-automatic rifle except that it has plastic parts on it. The round they fire is tiny in comparison to most hunting rounds by the way. Go compare a 5.56/.223 to a 30-06.

 

[Sofus]

So we're going back to having lame unrealistic weapons in games which resemble our current day and age? That would be as stupid as not having the Thompson or 1911 in a WW2 or Mafia game.

 

[Saltyk]

Which is why you can't buy or legally own a fully automatic weapon without a license. Also, BATFA regulates all gun purchases and selling a gun illegally is grounds to lose one's license to sell guns. Most guns that are sold are semi-automatic. It's not particularly hard to modify such guns into fully automatic, though. Still not something that is legal to own.

And you'd be hard pressed to find anyone with military grade equipment. Anywhere.

If someone does have such equipment, they likely got it on the black market or stole it from the military. Where do you think groups like the ZETAs got their arms? Some random gun store?

A semi automatic assault rifle is still an assault rifle. Like I said, semi auto or not, a M16 or M4 is not required by the general public as an operational weapon.

If you disagree then fine, that's your right, but I don't and never will understand how a country that's suppose to be civilized requires assault weapons to be civilian legal.

Tools are tools. Nothing more. You should have problems with those using, or misusing, the tools. Not the tools themselves. I'm sure someone could make the same argument you just did for any number of things. Ranging from cars/trucks to religion. Besides, so called "assault weapons" are hardly used in crime. Pistols are far more frequently used.

And there are some statistics that claim that guns are most often used as a tool of self defense and as a deterrent. Often without a single shot being fired. The exact number isn't agreed upon, but one of the lowest numbers I've heard was around 50,000 times a year (compared to a TOTAL gun deaths of 30,000). Of course, I've also heard them as high as 2.5 million a year. That high end is probably unrealistic, but even the low end is worth noting. And I've even heard that low end used as a claim for why guns don't deter crime, so it could even be unrealistically low.

 

[drschplatt]

"research has shown little connection between the virtual gun violence depicted in your games and the actual gun violence that claims the lives of 33 Americans every single day,"

and then forgets to tell you that guns are used in self-defense 6,850 times a day.

~Gary Kleck and Marc Gertz, "Armed Resistance to Crime: The Prevalence and Nature of Self-Defense With a Gun," 86 The Journal of Criminal Law and Criminology, Northwestern University School of Law, 1 (Fall 1995)

 

[Gearhead mk2]

This is still completely moronic, but at least he's being civil about it instead of going on about how teh gaymes r the satanz and should be burned at the stake.

 

[RicoADF]

Tools are tools. Nothing more. You should have problems with those using, or misusing, the tools. Not the tools themselves. I'm sure someone could make the same argument you just did for any number of things. Ranging from cars/trucks to religion. Besides, so called "assault weapons" are hardly used in crime. Pistols are far more frequently used.

And there are some statistics that claim that guns are most often used as a tool of self defense and as a deterrent. Often without a single shot being fired. The exact number isn't agreed upon, but one of the lowest numbers I've heard was around 50,000 times a year (compared to a TOTAL gun deaths of 30,000). Of course, I've also heard them as high as 2.5 million a year. That high end is probably unrealistic, but even the low end is worth noting. And I've even heard that low end used as a claim for why guns don't deter crime, so it could even be unrealistically low.

I agree their tools and the user is the issue, we just disagree on weather the general public needs access to the tool or weather its better off not being allowed. I'll leave it at that and just say lets agree to disagree.

EDIT: I'd just like to say probably the main reason for the disagreement is that we live in different worlds, over here in Australia there is no need for guns, their a collectors item or for the shooting range. Police etc have them but general public don't have the need. I'm trying to say the US needs to work towards improving themselves to not need them, like everyone else.

 

[WouldYouKindly]

What difference will this make but force devs to come up with a lot of really weird and stupid names for assault rifles?

This particularly makes no sense for the weapons that have no copyright. You'll note that pretty much any WWII game uses the proper names for the weapons because the copyrights are all well out of date.

We should tell him to try and do something that will actually have an effect. Oh, but that might be hard and he might fail, then he might not get reelected.

 

[Some_weirdGuy]

Thats roughly the same as giving a person a sweater so they dont get cold... in the desert...

Not to pick apart your analogy, but as a hint incase you ever find yourself in the unlikely conundrum of being trapped in a desert - it gets really damn cold in a desert at night, you're gonna want that sweater, and during the day it can help keep the sun off your skin ((that's why lots of desert dwellers are wrapped up from head to toe in robes and head-garbs and stuff)).

---

But yeah, seems really stupid to be calling on games when the real guns are so readily available. I guess maybe they figure they can't make much headway with the real guns, so they're choosing the lesser battles they may be able to effect. I guess if enough petitioners(i guess that's what you'd call him/them?) get together game makers can use it as an excuse to not pay licensing fees to gun makers, if nobody is using real gun names, then there's less pressure for others to follow suit, avoiding an unnecessary expense there.

 

[Saltyk]

Tools are tools. Nothing more. You should have problems with those using, or misusing, the tools. Not the tools themselves. I'm sure someone could make the same argument you just did for any number of things. Ranging from cars/trucks to religion. Besides, so called "assault weapons" are hardly used in crime. Pistols are far more frequently used.

And there are some statistics that claim that guns are most often used as a tool of self defense and as a deterrent. Often without a single shot being fired. The exact number isn't agreed upon, but one of the lowest numbers I've heard was around 50,000 times a year (compared to a TOTAL gun deaths of 30,000). Of course, I've also heard them as high as 2.5 million a year. That high end is probably unrealistic, but even the low end is worth noting. And I've even heard that low end used as a claim for why guns don't deter crime, so it could even be unrealistically low.

I agree their tools and the user is the issue, we just disagree on weather the general public needs access to the tool or weather its better off not being allowed. I'll leave it at that and just say lets agree to disagree.

EDIT: I'd just like to say probably the main reason for the disagreement is that we live in different worlds, over here in Australia there is no need for guns, their a collectors item or for the shooting range. Police etc have them but general public don't have the need. I'm trying to say the US needs to work towards improving themselves to not need them, like everyone else.

It's fine. We can agree to disagree. I'm of the belief that no one way is the best way. Your way works for you.

It comes down to a long standing tradition on top of the legal issues. Despite what some would tell you, the people of United States have been using guns since before there was a United States. It probably doesn't hurt that guns helped in forming the nation (it also probably is one reason Americans tend to be less trusting of government).

Also, I know plenty of people who use guns for hunting and sport. It's not just a self defense issue. There are tons of legal uses of guns. And I'm of the mindset that you don't punish everyone just because one person is irresponsible.

I heard that a lot of overpasses have fences over them because someone threw a turkey off of one and people got hurt. It's all because of one idiot that we can't have nice things. And that's a shame.

I'm also not under the delusion that if I were living in some other country, I would be championing gun rights or anything. I'd probably find them just as stupid as some of the other people here do.
Oh, and for the record. I don't have a gun, but have considered it.

 

[5mj7R7yf4Dwr3gdZyyu9PeGNwYjlNrjzuh3iTXQG]

Dear Speaker of the Connecticut House of Representatives:

Stop the war on drugs or GTFO.

(Translation: Your lame little soapbox grandstand is not for real.)

Sincerely,

238U

 

[TK421]

I dunno... since none of the content is going to change, what possible use could this be? If they comply, however, it could easily be "interpreted" as the games companies recognising a link between their products and violence, and taking "responsible" action to head things off. From there, it's a really short step to trying to censor the content, since the companies themselves have already "admitted" the link.

Sure... it's /tinfoilhat thinking... but we're talking about American politicians here. Morons who think regulating vidya-games (while simultaneously ignoring books, movies, advertising and... you know... actual guns) is gonna solve their problems. I don't think the above is a significant stretch for mentally challenged lug-nuts like that.

I think that you are spot-on with your first paragraph. They are trying to get people to "admit" that guns are "bad" so they can start censoring even more of our lives, and eventually be able to take away our rights. This drives me insane, I really hope that the companies do not comply with this request.

 

[RicoADF]

It's fine. We can agree to disagree. I'm of the belief that no one way is the best way. Your way works for you.

It comes down to a long standing tradition on top of the legal issues. Despite what some would tell you, the people of United States have been using guns since before there was a United States. It probably doesn't hurt that guns helped in forming the nation (it also probably is one reason Americans tend to be less trusting of government).

Also, I know plenty of people who use guns for hunting and sport. It's not just a self defense issue. There are tons of legal uses of guns. And I'm of the mindset that you don't punish everyone just because one person is irresponsible.

I heard that a lot of overpasses have fences over them because someone threw a turkey off of one and people got hurt. It's all because of one idiot that we can't have nice things. And that's a shame.

I'm also not under the delusion that if I were living in some other country, I would be championing gun rights or anything. I'd probably find them just as stupid as some of the other people here do.
Oh, and for the record. I don't have a gun, but have considered it.

Yeah that's what it comes down to, the US's culture is based around the gun due to your war of independence. Add to the fact you don't trust your government (and honestly who ever does) they wont be given up without a fight. Hunting and sports is fine, heck even over here guns are legal for those reasons, their just not allowed without a reason and self defense isn't considered a legitimate reason (unless you live on a farm/in rural, wildlife threats). Also the other issue/difference is that I heard that it's not the police's job to protect you (apparently some court ruled this), so I can understand wanting a gun for defense. Where as over here it is the job of the police to serve and protect, thus guns aren't generally needed.

 

[5mj7R7yf4Dwr3gdZyyu9PeGNwYjlNrjzuh3iTXQG]

Over here in Australia there is no need for guns...

Last I checked, Australia was a huge expanse of wildlands full of funny named, super-poisonous creatures that will try to kill you. That usually warrants carrying around a bit of hardware, yes?

Also, I know plenty of people who use guns for hunting and sport. It's not just a self defense issue...

Here in the United States, plenty of people like guns and that is cause enough for them to be legal (just as it is legal to own a motor vehicle or power tools, regardless of their applicability).

Considering the amazing amount of guns in the US, and the amazing amount of gun owners, it is rather astounding how most of them by far go through their entire lives never shooting a human being even once.

Despite the rather gross ideologies that are associated with pro-gun-ownership, the fact is, our fear of guns is a moral panic much like our fear of video games. It's not the excess of guns or our fascination with weapons that is propelling our murder rate.

238U

 

[GonzoGamer]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ssYezFw_Qs

I wonder if he approached the gun companies about licensing of their names....
of course not.

 

[Ed130 The Vanguard]

Asks Publishers to stop stunning the real names of various assault rifles.

Allows various assault rifles to be legally sold.

Can you say 'misplaced priority's?'

 

[Saltyk]

It's fine. We can agree to disagree. I'm of the belief that no one way is the best way. Your way works for you.

It comes down to a long standing tradition on top of the legal issues. Despite what some would tell you, the people of United States have been using guns since before there was a United States. It probably doesn't hurt that guns helped in forming the nation (it also probably is one reason Americans tend to be less trusting of government).

Also, I know plenty of people who use guns for hunting and sport. It's not just a self defense issue. There are tons of legal uses of guns. And I'm of the mindset that you don't punish everyone just because one person is irresponsible.

I heard that a lot of overpasses have fences over them because someone threw a turkey off of one and people got hurt. It's all because of one idiot that we can't have nice things. And that's a shame.

I'm also not under the delusion that if I were living in some other country, I would be championing gun rights or anything. I'd probably find them just as stupid as some of the other people here do.
Oh, and for the record. I don't have a gun, but have considered it.

Yeah that's what it comes down to, the US's culture is based around the gun due to your war of independence. Add to the fact you don't trust your government (and honestly who ever does) they wont be given up without a fight. Hunting and sports is fine, heck even over here guns are legal for those reasons, their just not allowed without a reason and self defense isn't considered a legitimate reason (unless you live on a farm/in rural, wildlife threats). Also the other issue/difference is that I heard that it's not the police's job to protect you (apparently some court ruled this), so I can understand wanting a gun for defense. Where as over here it is the job of the police to serve and protect, thus guns aren't generally needed.

Yes, that is true. It was the Supreme Court as I recall. Which, I'm sure you know, is the single highest court on the land. It would basically take a second case that held the same basic issue making it to the Supreme Court to overturn that ruling. Something that I don't expect to happen.

And, I agree with the ruling. It basically makes it so no one can sue the police because they didn't prevent a criminal from being a criminal. America is a VERY sue happy country. I think I read that we have almost twice as many lawyers or more than other countries. So, you can probably imagine that it would happen.

This doesn't mean the police don't answer calls, investigate crimes, or arrest people. It just means that if they don't stop someone from harming you or your property, you can't hold the government responsible.

Also, I know plenty of people who use guns for hunting and sport. It's not just a self defense issue...

Here in the United States, plenty of people like guns and that is cause enough for them to be legal (just as it is legal to own a motor vehicle or power tools, regardless of their applicability).

Considering the amazing amount of guns in the US, and the amazing amount of gun owners, it is rather astounding how most of them by far go through their entire lives never shooting a human being even once.

Despite the rather gross ideologies that are associated with pro-gun-ownership, the fact is, our fear of guns is a moral panic much like our fear of video games. It's not the excess of guns or our fascination with weapons that is propelling our murder rate.

238U

The Second Amendment says that it is legal to own guns. That's cause enough in my book. Even if someone doesn't like or even fears them.

But, I agree. It's not really about guns. It's just easy to blame a thing. I've never once seen a gun levitate and start acting on it's own. Which would be pretty damn amazing.

Also, propelling what murder rate? There's not been an actual increase in violence in the US in going on two decades. Sure, one year had a small increase from the year before, but it was an anomaly. And it barely raised at all before dropping every year after. The idea that people are using AR-15s or "Assault Weapons" to commit murders is a joke. The number of people killed by such weapons each year is a statistical blip. One that could be chalked up to an error.

Unless there has been some spillover from Mexico's Drug Cartels, that I am unaware of. Admittedly, that is a problem, regardless of any spillover. I'm hoping the Mexican authorities can bring them under control.